"My apologies — not this time."

Mei Xiyao gave a light shake of her head, offering no further explanation, and then went past the several men and up the stairs.

Watching her graceful, receding figure, a few of the Mixed Origin Grandmasters exchanged a glance and quickly sat back down. The other cultivators, faces full of anticipation, hurriedly withdrew their gazes as well.

The Mysterious Sword Perfected Master always brought his own ingredients, and once he left, the Eight-Direction Dining Hall would open its kitchen and extend a broad invitation to its guests. But it wasn't without exception. This time, for instance, Nie Jun had brought the corpses of that pack of demons from the Thousand Demon Den. The Thousand Demon Den was a different matter from wild demons — Wutong Mountain's people dared eat their flesh, but this crowd of small powers hadn't the nerve, didn't so much as dare ask a single question about it.

"Make ready. The cave estate opens soon."

Perfected Master Zhang flicked his sleeve and likewise headed for the door. He didn't lower his voice — on the contrary, he deliberately let everyone hear. Such a magnanimous manner drew everyone's admiration once again. The Mysterious Sword Perfected Master's cultivation might be unfathomably deep, but there was nothing in it for anyone else; by comparison, the Xuanguang Cave Perfected Master was rather the better sort.

As Perfected Master Zhang left the dining hall, a crowd of people noisily followed him out.

Only then did Mei Xiyao, who had just gone upstairs, come back down, several of the hall's people behind her, all gazing quietly at the floor below. Only once the space below had emptied of people did she let out an unconscious sigh, the others giving bitter smiles and shaking their heads too.

This scene was exactly the same as last time. All of them powerhouses who had cultivated up through such hardship — did they truly believe in Xuanguang Cave's fine title of "immortal sect"?

In the corner, Shen Yi rose to his feet as well.

This Perfected Master Zhang's strange conduct was,…